Reply
Thu 6 Jan, 2005 11:01 am
Hello all.
I'm soon to be starting a cooking class (culinary arts 1) at a local community college in Toronto and I need to pick up some tools before hand.
I'm mostly ok with the things on the list but I also need to get some knives:
set of knives (paring, 10"-12" chef or French, serrated and boning)
Now, of all the things on the list this is where I am most likely to spend some money. I don't see a great deal of difference between the 2 dollar measuring cups and the 30 dollar measuring cups, but the difference between cheap and expensive knives is like night and day.
I know a couple of good brand names (Henckel and Wusthoff) but not a whole lot beyond that.
Does any have any recommendations for knives that I should investigate, or know of any sites that give reviews of good quality knives?
Oh, and I have no ambitions to be a professional chef, this course is purely for my (and my family and friend's) enjoyment!
Thanks
Toby
30 years ago I bought a couple of Sabatier knives ( 10" Chef's knife and the 6" boning and paring utility knife). I also bought a Sharpening Steel to dress the edge of the high-carbon steel.
I have used these knives extensively and consider them one of the best purchases I've ever made.
High-quality tools are a giant step toward high-quality performance/product.
Re: Knives
toby.stevenson wrote:Hello all.
I'm soon to be starting a cooking class (culinary arts 1) at a local community college in Toronto and I need to pick up some tools before hand.
I'm mostly ok with the things on the list but I also need to get some knives:
set of knives (paring, 10"-12" chef or French, serrated and boning)
Now, of all the things on the list this is where I am most likely to spend some money. I don't see a great deal of difference between the 2 dollar measuring cups and the 30 dollar measuring cups, but the difference between cheap and expensive knives is like night and day.
I know a couple of good brand names (Henckel and Wusthoff) but not a whole lot beyond that.
Does any have any recommendations for knives that I should investigate, or know of any sites that give reviews of good quality knives?
Oh, and I have no ambitions to be a professional chef, this course is purely for my (and my family and friend's) enjoyment!
Thanks
Toby
My boyfriend has a Wusthoff (I forget the model. It's something fairly standard.)
I don't know if it's worth the cost ($100+) for a non-chef, but slicing anything with it is delightful. The weight, the pull, the resistance, all perfect. Slicing zucchini will never be the same again.
The cost doesn't bother me overly (not that I want one with large diamonds studded in the handle mind you) but I am hoping to get some knives that I will own for the next 30 to 40 years, so I'd rather spend a bit more on a great quality knife, than just have to buy another one in 5 to 10 years anyway.
The Wusthof ones do look really nice, and they are certainly tempting.
Wusthoff is great. It will run you about $500 for a set containing 2 knives (can't remember exact lengths), a bread knife, a chef's knife and a sharpening stick. Oh and the block. The knives are expensive but they are a lifetime guarantee. Love 'em.
Bought me a knife
In the end I wound up buying an 8 inch J.A. Henckel 4 star chef's knife.
I really like the way it feels in the hand. I'll make another post in a week or two once I have a feel for how it cuts.
The only other knife that was really tempting was the 100% carbon sabatier chef's knife. I much prefer the look of the 100% carbon to the high carbon stainless steel.
The problem was finding one! I didn't really have time to wait for one to be delivered from an online order. If I do find myself needing a 10" chef's knife in the future I will be sorely tempted by the sabatier.
Toby
Hi Toby, I'm a professional chef, and have a real love for the Global knives from Japan. They are light, sharp, and great for detail work. Here are a couple of links:
http://www.metrokitchen.com/global/
http://fantes.com/global.htm
I see you are in Toronto. There are some shops in Chinatown that sell Globals a bit cheaper than you find at the high end culinary supply shops.
Dreizack/Wüsthoff and Zwilling/Herder are certainly very good knives, but more or less mass-produced articles. (I lived a couple of years close to the Zwilling-factory, father-in-law made bowie-knives, Mrs Walter used to work for the largest whole saler of knives in Silingen :wink: )
Superiour ones are
Dick knives , very good are those by
Böker and good ones (as good as Wüsthoff and Zwilling, but much cheaper) are those by
Burgvogel.
(Sorry, when I listed only German knives from Solingen :wink: )
Just seen this thread - Henckel "Zwilling" knives are what I use. I'm very pleased that you have found something which feels good in your hand. That's one of the most important things.
As for 100% carbon vs. stainless - for all practical uses, stainless wins. However, I have a French "Opinel" knife -
http://www.opinel.fr/FR/catalogue/index.htm
I don't know if it's 100% carbon but (when sharpened carefully) is sharper than any other knife I've ever owned! I only tend to use it on picnics/holidays, as it's so hard to clean properly.
Walter, I consider the Boker brand to be the best of the commercially available pocket and utility knives.
Since Toby got set up, do any of the pros have any feelings about the ceramic knives that are popping up like mushrooms? Just out of curiosity.
Stumble It!
Tweet This
Bookmark on Delicious
Share on Facebook
Share on MySpace